Earlier, the UN press service reported that the UN Secretary-General would visit Moscow and Kiev on March 20-21.

The UN secretary-general will leave for a visit to Russia on March 19 within the diplomatic efforts to encourage all parties to settling the crisis in Ukraine by peaceful means, the press service said.

While in Moscow, Ban Ki-moon will have meetings with Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other high-ranking officials.

While in Kiev, the UN Secretary-General will meet Ukrainian acting President Oleksandr Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who were appointed by the Verkhovna Rada. The UN secretary-general is planning to confer with representatives of the civil society and UN staffers, the UN press service said.